The present invention relates generally to computer systems and particularly to a card insulator and retention guide for a computer system having hot plugable adapter cards.
Computer systems usually have a main printed circuit board commonly called the xe2x80x9cmotherboardxe2x80x9d. The motherboard is usually equipped with a plurality of card edge connectors for receiving adapter cards. These adapter cards are designed to provide optional and additional functions that the base system on the motherboard does not provide. In many computer systems, the insertion or the removal of an adapter card requires that the power to the system be turned off. However, in more advanced systems, adapter cards can be plugged into and unplugged from the system while the power to the system is ON. Plugging an adapter card into or removing it from a system while the power is ON is generally referred to as xe2x80x9chot-pluggingxe2x80x9d.
Since most adapter cards have a metal bracket at one edge of the card, and because the power to the motherboard is not turned OFF in a xe2x80x9chot-plugxe2x80x9d system during insertion or removal of an adapter card, the accidental contact of the metal bracket to the motherboard can result in an electrical short. In addition, during insertion or removal of an adapter card, the accidental contact of an adapter card to an adjacent adapter card already installed in the system can also result in an electrical short.
A typical solution to this problem involves covering the motherboard with a large sheet of semi-rigid plastic. The adapter card connectors on the motherboard are accessible to the edge connector of an adapter card through a plurality of slots in the motherboard insulator. Positioned between each of these slots in the motherboard insulator is a mechanical connector. A substantially rectangular card insulator which is comprised of a thin sheet of semi-rigid plastic, is positioned between two adjacent adapter cards and attached to the mechanical connector on the motherboard insulator such that the card insulator is supported in a position substantially perpendicular position to the motherboard.
FIG. 1 shows a typical card insulator 10. The card insulator 10 comprises a first to planar portion 14 and a second planar portion 18. The first planar portion 14 comprises first edge and second opposing edges 12,20. A second planar portion 18 having a slot 16 is connected to the first planar portion 14 and extends substantially perpendicular to the first planar portion 14. The slot 16 connects to a piece of molded plastic (not shown) that is coupled to the motherboard.
A problem associated with these prior art solutions is that the card insulator 10 is not rigidly retained in its position during shock and vibration tests. Consequently, the card insulator would tend to pop out during shock and vibration tests. Furthermore, the piece of molded plastic required to connect the card insulator 10 adds a significant expense to the system since it is system specific.
Accordingly, what is need is an improved system for retaining a card insulator within a processing system. The improvement should be simple, cost effective and capable of being easily adapted to current technology. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention is an information processing system. The information system comprises a housing, a card insulator, and a card insulator guide. The card insulator comprises a planar portion, a handle portion coupled to the planar portion, the handle portion including a securing element for securing the card insulator to the housing. The card insulator guide is coupled to the housing wherein the card insulator guide comprises at least one slot for receiving the card insulator and a retainer lid hingedly coupled to the at least one slot for securing the card insulator to the information processing system.
Through the use of the system in accordance with the present invention, the card insulator is coupled to the information processing system in a more secure fashion thereby preventing the card insulator from popping out of position as a result a shock and/or vibration to the information processing system.